Mr. Bottlecaps works in auto parts. Almost all auto parts come with some sort of warranty or another, whether it's three months or a lifetime warranty. Some parts houses ask for your name and/or phone number to put in the system so if you need to use the warranty, they can quickly look up the purchase and verify that you in fact bought that part at that retailer (or in some cases, that particular location).

OP here. I was buying makeup. In a high end, department store. That is not under warranty and they do NOT need my personal info to complete that purchase. I e-mailed the store and complained, from my "spam" e-mail address. I'm not going to send a letter, because, any good, decent, well respected letter would have...my name, address, etc. And, not willing to share that with this place. I won't be going back.

That's understandable. I was just giving a reason for why some retailers might ask for that information, especially in the case of appliances, parts, etc.

Logged

"Some of the most wonderful people are the ones who don't fit into boxes." -Tori Amos

Ironically, the failure for corporate officers to discuss these types of ideas with the front line folks (Hey, you should get some beef steaks to go with your tofu burgers!) is considered the number one mistake in strategic planning. Ivory Tower planning won't build your market share. Too often it drives away customers.

And this kind of badgering is why I stopped shopping at a certain Tween clothing store. I was badgered over $4 and my information.Yes, I know there are quotas but this is truly what happened to me the last time I shopped there -with DD and DH. If we hadn't had been in a hurry to get out of there, I definitely would have spoken to the manager about it.

While we were getting checked out:

Cashier: What's your phone number?Me: It's unlisted, we don't give it out.Cashier: What's your e-mail address?Me: I don't give that out, either.Cashier: It's just for coupons, so that you can save money. Give me your e-mail address.Me: No, thanks, I don't want to receive coupons.Cashier: (rolls her eyes at me and rings up transaction). It comes to $46.00. If you spend another $4, you earn $25.00 in StoreBucks and get a coupon for X% off your next purchase.Me: No, thanks. Let's just pay for what we have here.Cashier: It's only another $4. We have underwear, necklaces and candy that would help you meet that price.

At this point, DH steps in and says, "No thank you".

Cashier: Oh come on! It's only $4! And you get all these StoreBucks and a coupon!Me: No, thank you. SA: No necklaces, or underwear? It's only $4!DH: We just would like to pay for what we have. We don't use StoreBucks. In fact, I'll give YOU $50.00 to stop trying to sell them to us.Cashier: $4 isn't much and I know your DD was looking at the mustache necklaces earlier.

At this point, Cashier turns to DD and asks her if she doesn't want a necklace.

All three of us just stood there and looked at her - trying the use of Complete Silence to get her to finally understand "no".

Cashier: You're killing me! It's only another $4! And you can get a COUPON. (Tone implying we are stupid for not wanting the coupon).

Me: Actually, YOU are killing ME. Please finish the transaction.

Cashier finally gave up, finished the transaction, shoved the receipt into the bag, and tossed the purchase at us. Didn't thank us and I could tell she was angry.

See, I don't want to take this kind of thing out on the cashier, but this one BADGERED us. I did complain to corporate about it and they replied back saying they would be "retraining" her. But the way she badgered us ensured I would never return to the store. I was the most furious when she tried to upsell my daughter directly when it didn't work with us, no matter how many times we said no.

Ironically, the failure for corporate officers to discuss these types of ideas with the front line folks (Hey, you should get some beef steaks to go with your tofu burgers!) is considered the number one mistake in strategic planning. Ivory Tower planning won't build your market share. Too often it drives away customers.

As a funny side note a now defunct Co I worked for decided to implement a plan based on the well reasoned argument from the VP of one dept. They told us and the 400ish employees came up with 400 different ways to say "that is the most ridiculous idea EVAR!" . The answer to that was to hire a very expensive motivational speaker who specialized on "Learning to make new habits and make change" 6 months later VP was fired and "Yeah, we're not doing that anymore"

Ironically, the failure for corporate officers to discuss these types of ideas with the front line folks (Hey, you should get some beef steaks to go with your tofu burgers!) is considered the number one mistake in strategic planning. Ivory Tower planning won't build your market share. Too often it drives away customers.

As a funny side note a now defunct Co I worked for decided to implement a plan based on the well reasoned argument from the VP of one dept. They told us and the 400ish employees came up with 400 different ways to say "that is the most ridiculous idea EVAR!" . The answer to that was to hire a very expensive motivational speaker who specialized on "Learning to make new habits and make change" 6 months later VP was fired and "Yeah, we're not doing that anymore"

Ironically, the failure for corporate officers to discuss these types of ideas with the front line folks (Hey, you should get some beef steaks to go with your tofu burgers!) is considered the number one mistake in strategic planning. Ivory Tower planning won't build your market share. Too often it drives away customers.

As a funny side note a now defunct Co I worked for decided to implement a plan based on the well reasoned argument from the VP of one dept. They told us and the 400ish employees came up with 400 different ways to say "that is the most ridiculous idea EVAR!" . The answer to that was to hire a very expensive motivational speaker who specialized on "Learning to make new habits and make change" 6 months later VP was fired and "Yeah, we're not doing that anymore"

so what was the ridiculous plan!

New pricing formal in which prices would be set solely by the buyer. (A buyer who had a habit of "I really like this so this will be 10% more.") Going from individuals have 25% discretion to zero and most importantly not honoring a WRITTEN guarantee and wanting to continue issuing the guarantee.

Ironically, the failure for corporate officers to discuss these types of ideas with the front line folks (Hey, you should get some beef steaks to go with your tofu burgers!) is considered the number one mistake in strategic planning. Ivory Tower planning won't build your market share. Too often it drives away customers.

As a funny side note a now defunct Co I worked for decided to implement a plan based on the well reasoned argument from the VP of one dept. They told us and the 400ish employees came up with 400 different ways to say "that is the most ridiculous idea EVAR!" . The answer to that was to hire a very expensive motivational speaker who specialized on "Learning to make new habits and make change" 6 months later VP was fired and "Yeah, we're not doing that anymore"

so what was the ridiculous plan!

New pricing formal in which prices would be set solely by the buyer. (A buyer who had a habit of "I really like this so this will be 10% more.") Going from individuals have 25% discretion to zero and most importantly not honoring a WRITTEN guarantee and wanting to continue issuing the guarantee.

So they expected people to just make sure they gave a fair price? I can see that working for some people but most people are going to be like "cool - I will pay $1". What is the point of issuing a guarantee if you have no plans for honoring it?

Mind you, if you have a US credit card without a chip (I think most don't, right?), you may be out of luck travelling when travelling abroad because you can't enter a PIN, which is the security screening for those cards.

I traveled to the UK recently and could still use my US credit cards, which don't have chips. They had to pull out alternate charging machines in a few places, but they were able to complete the transaction.

Ironically, the failure for corporate officers to discuss these types of ideas with the front line folks (Hey, you should get some beef steaks to go with your tofu burgers!) is considered the number one mistake in strategic planning. Ivory Tower planning won't build your market share. Too often it drives away customers.

As a funny side note a now defunct Co I worked for decided to implement a plan based on the well reasoned argument from the VP of one dept. They told us and the 400ish employees came up with 400 different ways to say "that is the most ridiculous idea EVAR!" . The answer to that was to hire a very expensive motivational speaker who specialized on "Learning to make new habits and make change" 6 months later VP was fired and "Yeah, we're not doing that anymore"

so what was the ridiculous plan!

New pricing formal in which prices would be set solely by the buyer. (A buyer who had a habit of "I really like this so this will be 10% more.") Going from individuals have 25% discretion to zero and most importantly not honoring a WRITTEN guarantee and wanting to continue issuing the guarantee.

So they expected people to just make sure they gave a fair price? I can see that working for some people but most people are going to be like "cool - I will pay $1". What is the point of issuing a guarantee if you have no plans for honoring it?

Exactly what we were screaming about with the guarantee. I meant the company buyer not customers ,she'd occasionally fall in love with pieces of merchandiser and think "I love it therefore everyone else will too and if they don't they're just poopyheads. I'm going to deviate from the pricing formula and add 10% *or more*"

Ironically, the failure for corporate officers to discuss these types of ideas with the front line folks (Hey, you should get some beef steaks to go with your tofu burgers!) is considered the number one mistake in strategic planning. Ivory Tower planning won't build your market share. Too often it drives away customers.

As a funny side note a now defunct Co I worked for decided to implement a plan based on the well reasoned argument from the VP of one dept. They told us and the 400ish employees came up with 400 different ways to say "that is the most ridiculous idea EVAR!" . The answer to that was to hire a very expensive motivational speaker who specialized on "Learning to make new habits and make change" 6 months later VP was fired and "Yeah, we're not doing that anymore"

I know we don't work for the same company but I've had my own share of stories like that!

Ironically, the failure for corporate officers to discuss these types of ideas with the front line folks (Hey, you should get some beef steaks to go with your tofu burgers!) is considered the number one mistake in strategic planning. Ivory Tower planning won't build your market share. Too often it drives away customers.

As a funny side note a now defunct Co I worked for decided to implement a plan based on the well reasoned argument from the VP of one dept. They told us and the 400ish employees came up with 400 different ways to say "that is the most ridiculous idea EVAR!" . The answer to that was to hire a very expensive motivational speaker who specialized on "Learning to make new habits and make change" 6 months later VP was fired and "Yeah, we're not doing that anymore"

so what was the ridiculous plan!

New pricing formal in which prices would be set solely by the buyer. (A buyer who had a habit of "I really like this so this will be 10% more.") Going from individuals have 25% discretion to zero and most importantly not honoring a WRITTEN guarantee and wanting to continue issuing the guarantee.

So they expected people to just make sure they gave a fair price? I can see that working for some people but most people are going to be like "cool - I will pay $1". What is the point of issuing a guarantee if you have no plans for honoring it?

Exactly what we were screaming about with the guarantee. I meant the company buyer not customers ,she'd occasionally fall in love with pieces of merchandiser and think "I love it therefore everyone else will too and if they don't they're just poopyheads. I'm going to deviate from the pricing formula and add 10% *or more*"

and the stuff she hated would be 10% less or more? yeah I didn't think so. That does sound like a stupid plan. I mean don't the prices include looking at what competitors sell it for? Why should I pay 10% more with you then them? especially if you won't honor your guarantee.

Mind you, if you have a US credit card without a chip (I think most don't, right?), you may be out of luck travelling when travelling abroad because you can't enter a PIN, which is the security screening for those cards.

I traveled to the UK recently and could still use my US credit cards, which don't have chips. They had to pull out alternate charging machines in a few places, but they were able to complete the transaction.

I've never had an issue with US credit cards, as long as they're international like Visa & Mastercard. The only time internationally I've been denied was when debit was required (and that was in Ireland, and had a chip). I've even used American CCs at foreign ATMs in several countries, no problem.

I use my local area code plus 867-5309 if asked to provide a phone number. I've only had one cashier "get it". Young kid, who smirked a little bit and then jokingly shouted "Jenny! I've finally found you!"

When that song made the one-hit wonder list, 12 people actually had that number.

As of a couple years ago, somebody in NYC still did, and refuses to give it up. According to a high level telecommunications engineer I know, quite a number of people had the number when the song came out. Many of those people requested their numbers to be changed, which the company my father worked for changed without a fee, and then put the number on the "do not issue" list, and let it die a natural death. The FCC could have also fined the song writer, as there are actually laws regarding numbers that can be used in media. That's why "555" numbers are used in TV and movies, as that's the prefix the FCC has set aside for fake numbers.

/end hijack.

Interesting, yeah this was 1999 or 2000, no idea how many people still have it.

Mind you, if you have a US credit card without a chip (I think most don't, right?), you may be out of luck travelling when travelling abroad because you can't enter a PIN, which is the security screening for those cards.

I traveled to the UK recently and could still use my US credit cards, which don't have chips. They had to pull out alternate charging machines in a few places, but they were able to complete the transaction.

I've never had an issue with US credit cards, as long as they're international like Visa & Mastercard. The only time internationally I've been denied was when debit was required (and that was in Ireland, and had a chip). I've even used American CCs at foreign ATMs in several countries, no problem.

It's difficult to get around Norway without a chip card - all of the metro stations, for example, only accept chip+pin in Oslo. It was a big problem after-hours when the cashiers were gone and we needed to get on the metro!

I read somewhere that asking for your Postal/Zip Code when you used a credit card was to help prevent the use of stolen cards. If their computer says that your zipcode is 12345 and you tell them 10203, it might be that you are using a card that isn't yours.

So every time an employee uses a corporate card it would be flagged as fraud? No. The "it's for security" purposes is the lie they tell you to make you think giving them valuable marketing data is good for you rather than good for them.

I always provide 90210 as a ZIP and for a phone number I use the phone company's customer service line. It's like 765-FONE, but when you actually say 765-3663 most employees don't know or don't care. Certainly when I've used 90210 in the past, I've had cahsiers say that's the one they get the most. (Or did back in the 1990s.)